at Princeton University ~ July 2003
The Third Annual John Merck Fund Summer Institute on the Biology of
Developmental Disabilities was held at Princeton University in
Princeton, New Jersey, July 20th through 25th. The week long course
examined basic principles of behavioral and brain development in
typically and atypically developing populations. Experts in the fields
of psychology, neurobiology, neuroscience, and molecular biology
presented their work in addition to hands-on workshops in animal,
imaging, genetics and modeling methods. The institute was geared
toward graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and tuition, student
housing and small travel stipends were provided by The John Merck
Fund. Enrollment was
limited to 36 students. See links for photos and
selected lectures below. Contact
jas2027@med.cornell.edu for more information.
For information on summer institutes held previously at Cold
Spring Harbor see: http://psych.colorado.edu/~munakata/csh/
2003 Lectures and Topics
All events in Green Hall unless otherwise specified
Sunday, July 20, 2003
4:00 BJ Casey, Sackler Institute: Welcome and Introductions
Representative Paper 1 2
4:30 Jonathan Cohen, Princeton: "Modular vs.
Distributed Organization: How the Different Methods Inform Us"
Representative Paper
5:30 Reception at Triumphs
6:30 Student Presentations
Monday, July 21, 2003
9:00 Pat Levitt, Vanderbilt: “Development of the
Mammalian Forebrain” Representative Paper
10:30 Daphne Bavelier, Rochester:
“Plasticity in the Human Visual System” Representative Paper
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Elizabeth Gould, Princeton:“Neurogenesis in the
Adult Brain” Representative Paper
2:30 Elizabeth Gould, Animal Lab Workshop
3:30 Break
4:00 John Fossella, Sackler: Genetics Workshop
Representative
Paper
6:00 Adjourn
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
9:00 Charles Gross "Animal
Neurophysiology of Object Processing” Representative
Paper
10:30 Chuck Nelson, U. Minn: “The Development and Neural
Basis of Face Recognition” Representative Paper
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Jim Haxby, Princeton: “Organization of Face and
Object Processing” Representative Paper
2:30 Free Time / Time for Debate Preparations
5:00 Happy Hour at Casey-Cohen's
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
9:00 Brad Schlaggar, Wash U:
“Studying the Developmental Neurobiology of Reading using Functional
MRI” Representative Paper
10:30 Bruce McCandliss, Sackler: "Changes in Functional
Organization Supporting Reading:
Development
and Intervention" Representative Paper
1 2
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Imaging Workshops: EEG- Michael
Worden
1:40 MR Diffusion Tensor Imaging: Fiber
Tracking Workshop - Richard Watts Representative
Paper
2:20 fMRI - Wolfgang Richter
3:00 MRI safety/simulation - Matthew Davidson
3:30 Break
4:00 Imaging Workshops, rotate among sessions:
MRI scan -
Leigh Nystrom, Wolfgang Richter
Image Analysis
- Sylvain Takerkart, Leigh Nystrom
EEG/ERP
Analysis - Michael Worden
6:30 Adjourn
Thursday, July 24, 2003
9:00 Earl Miller, MIT: "Prefrontal Cortex:
Categories, Concepts, and Cognitive Control" Representative Paper
10:30 Adele Diamond, Shriver Center: “Development of
Prefrontal Function” Representative
Paper
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Jonathan Cohen, Princeton: “Organization and
Function of Prefrontal Cortex:
Imaging and
Computational Modeling” Representative
Paper
2:30 Ken Norman, Princeton: Computational Modeling
workshop
5:00 Adjourn
7:00 Gala in the Garden Room of Prospect House
9:00 Debate at the Prospect House
Friday, July 25, 2003
9:00 Bruce Pennington, U of Denver: "Analyzing Atypical
Development: Causes and Comorbidities" Representative Paper
10:30 Final Remarks, Evaluations, Group Picture
11:00 Adjourn
Thanks to all of the 2003 lecturers and to the following contributors:
Pat Levitt
Earl Miller
Chuck Nelson
Ken Norman
Bruce Pennington
Brad Schlaggar
Richard Watts
Check out photos!
A special thanks to those who submitted them:
Kevin Bath
Jonathan Cohen
Don Druin
Stephanie Furrer
Conny Hahn
Eleni Kotsoni
Lisa Scott
And the song lyrics
2003 Summer Institute Lyrics